Scottish export fears as France closes border
Countries ban travel from UK because of new strain of Covid-19
Scottish exporters are warning millions of pounds worth of food could go to waste after France banned lorries carrying freight from the UK, leading to huge queues of trucks at the Channel ports.
Boris Johnson will hold crisis talks with ministers and countries around the world also ended flights amid fears over the new mutant coronavirus strain.
Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon will join the Prime Minister at a meeting of the Government's Cobra civil contingencies committee later.
"Nightmare before Christmas"
Hauliers were urged to stay away from the Kent amid warnings of potential problems as the end of the Brexit transition period looms on December 31.
James Withers, the CEO of Scotland Food and Drink, told Tay FM:
"This is the nightmare before Christmas for a lot of exporters, particularly food exporters. There are millions of pounds of perishable seafood on trucks on their way to Dover now facing an effective ban on exports for at least the next 48 hours.
"You couldn't pick a worse time for the main artery into our biggest export market to be closed down.
"We're going to have to see progress over the next 24-48 hours or this could be a huge cost to businesses which just cannot afford it.
"We need the UK Government to ask the French Government to still accept freight, or at leash perishable products, which need to get across the Channel today or tomorrow."
Countries including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Austria, Denmark, Ireland, and Bulgaria announced restrictions on UK travel following the disclosure that the highly infectious new strain is widespread across south-east England.
PM to chair Cobra meeting
A No 10 spokesman said: "The Prime Minister will chair a Cobra meeting tomorrow to discuss the situation regarding international travel, in particular the steady flow of freight into and out of the UK.
"Further meetings are happening this evening and tomorrow morning to ensure robust plans are in place.''
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps urged people including hauliers to stay away from the area around the Channel ports.
"We expect significant disruption in the area. My department is urgently working with Highways England and Kent Council on contingency measures to minimise traffic disruption in the area,'' he said.
The British Retail Consortium warned the closure of France to UK traffic would create "difficulties'' for UK imports and exports in the busy Christmas period.
Andrew Opie, the BRC's director of food and sustainability, said any "prolonged'' disruption would be a problem in the run-up to the end of the Brexit transition period on December 31.
"While goods can enter from France, few haulage firms will be willing to send trucks and drivers across to the UK without a guarantee they can return to the EU in a timely manner,'' he said.
"This is a key supply route for fresh produce at this time of year.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it was "imperative'' the UK Government sought an extension to the Brexit transition period.
"The new Covid strain - and the various implications of it - means we face a profoundly serious situation, and it demands our 100% attention,'' she said.
"It would be unconscionable to compound it with Brexit.''